Windows 8 is depressing PC sales in record numbers

On exactly the same machine, Windows 7 boots faster, not that boot time matters much to me. The operation of programs is no faster on Windows 8 than 7, so that's no compelling argument either. The underlying OS improvements are positives for Windows 8, but I still haven't heard whether the System Restore function works. On an aesthetics note, the more I use Windows 8, the less I actually like the very flat look Microsoft has adopted.

Windows 8 will bring up the programs faster due to the striping out of the eye candy that is in Windows 7. With an SSD all is moot no difference between Windows 8 and Windows 7. Windows 8 has more bugs than my Bee Hives.

It's one of those computer mysteries.
Some hardware/software products work for some people and fail for others.

I've seen comments from:

W8 Lovers claiming it's faster and runs every program ever written.

W8 Haters claiming it's slower and most programs are broken

Apart from the boot speed, I didn't notice any performance improvement, or degradation, when I was using the 4 W8 Previews.

Really? The "Score" tells it all, on Windows 7, my score is 3 or less, on Windows 8, its at least 3.4 - Based on the Graphics cards I use, which are the slowest things on the system. But there is marked improvement with all my scores, not just graphics.

On my machines, the tale is told by VideoLAN. On Windows 7, Video playback starts and stops, especially watching 1080 stuff. On Windows 8, the 1080 stuff plays without one glitch, without dropping one frame. Even when the drives are optimizing, and I have that set to daily.

I think the main thing is I no longer use Eset NOD32 antivirus, that was slowing me down a bit, but even when I still had it installed, it was still faster overall.

Ray8 - The System Restore does not work on at least one of my systems. Does not even come up. But I was trying to start it through the Troubleshooting area, not from the main GUI.

I've been trying to run it from the normal dialogue box and it simply does not work. There's still some debate as to whether this is an issue with dual boot systems or Windows 8 itself. Windows 8 has introduced some new restore features and the traditional System Restore has been problematic for many. System Restore is one of the most useful features Windows has ever had and I'd hate for it to be lost with future versions.

True. PC sales were bound to fall no matter what but advertising Metro on PC monitors on the shelves made things far worse because it doesn't show what a PC is for, it's not a mark for professional use (to say the least!!!), it's anti-geek, it's not symbolical of performance like speed and heavy duty. etc.

I think I agree, I've gone to all of the big stores where are trying to sell Win 8 PC's - And all they show is the Metro "Tablet-Top" - I think if the stores would show a few PC's running in Desktop Mode, it would be better. I think the people who buy PC's - See the Metro Interface, and go WHAAAT? Where's My Windows? And then go buy a Mac. To make sales better, MS has to SHOW that the Desktop is actually still there and runs better than it does in Windows 7.

Metros IS kind of "anti-geek" at first glance, when I first looked at it, I was asking, WHERE are the settings? Where are the Programs? I had to install it to find out. The demos they show at stores, have the desktop mode Locked Out, so potential customers can't see the full potential.

But - Even with sales "meager" as they apparently are, almost 80 million people have bought PCs, is that what I'm reading? That's not chopped Liver, that's 80 million Windows 8 Machines.

I think Microsoft needs to tweek their sales pitch a little, show people, all is not really lost. Metro is a choice as it stands now. If MS makes Metro the Only Choice, that will be the failure of Microsoft. If I were Microsoft, I'd ENSURE continued sales by making a version of Windows 8 that is Desktop-Only, just like they have Metro-Only versions. That way, people can choose how they wish to run it. They do have the choice, but it is not clear that the choice is there, if all you see are the store demos.

There are people who have hated Windows 8 here, and then later turn around and say it's actually not that bad, ONCE THEY HAVE USED IT. If everyone hated it and didn't try it, there would be a problem. But since there are people that will give it a go and realize the bad hype around it is literally idiotic and makes those who keep hyping it that way look like a bunch of rabid, deranged, radiated monkeys.

Hahaha! Well, that was ME. I Hated it, but I just hated the IDEA of it. Until I tried it for myself and saw, I CAN run my programs on it.

Those PC displays do have the Desktop on display.... you click the Desktop tile... They have UAC controls on them so you don't install something stupid on there. Even the Windows display loop shows, "Work on your familiar Desktop." That is actually there, you have to ACTUALLY watch the demo loops to show that there are new things about Windows 8 and familiar things about it. There is NOTHING "locked down" or whatever nonsense, that's Windows RT.

And that would be REALLY stupid to have a "Desktop only" version of Windows when it can literally take less than five minutes to arrange Windows that way. Apparently it must be too "anti-geek" to have some "geeks" not be able to figure that simple fact out. This right here is WHY I don't feel Windows 8 takes anything away from the Desktop, it's just like Windows 7 but MUCH better. I have what I used to use on the start menu on the Start Screen, except I can navigate that new part of the UI MUCH quicker and easier than in 7. The Start Screen is Desktop dependent IF you set it up that way, that's why it's called a PC not a mac, it's a Personal Computer able to adapt to YOUR personal preferences. Been that way since forever...

It's one of those computer mysteries.
Some hardware/software products work for some people and fail for others.

I've seen comments from:

W8 Lovers claiming it's faster and runs every program ever written.

W8 Haters claiming it's slower and most programs are broken

Apart from the boot speed, I didn't notice any performance improvement, or degradation, when I was using the 4 W8 Previews.

With Office 2013 and 8, there is a slight faster speed to it than 7 and 2010.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 and 8 is faster for SURE than KIS 2012 and 7.

Some examples there, but overall nothing gets slow. There isn't a UI lag ANYWHERE. I remember in 7 sometimes that would happen. On older hardware, 7 was better than vista, but still pounded it. With 8, it can literally run better on an xp era PC than Windows xp itself.

Newer software will run faster on Windows 8 for sure.

With PC gaming, there have been certain games that get several FPS more than 7 (because of WDDM 1.2 in 8 and newer drivers) sometimes not. Some games that had difficulty installing in 7 installs and runs like a champ in 8.

Hi all,
New here, so I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to post this(if it isn't, admins please move it to the correct forum, thanks!). I'm currently running Windows 8.1 and recently I took a look at my Resource Monitor and noticed a process called numbers.exe with the description...